Device for operating magnetos.



E. A. WATTS.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING MAGNETOS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1912. 1 1258a Patented 0013.6, 1914.

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E. A. WATTS. DEVICE FOR OPERATING MAGNETOS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16, 1912 1, 1 1 2,580. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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(3 v. uc uioz k f i all/0141251 UNITED STATES ILIFENT orrioa ELMER A. WATTS, 0F SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MILLER IMPROVED GAS ENGINE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

nn'vrcn ron OPERATING MAGNETOS.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Application fil d April 16, 1912. Serial No. 691,139.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

. To all whom it may concern:

ated movements will be imparted to the armature shaft of the magneto so that the magneto will be caused to produce an effective spark for the purpose of igniting a charge of explosive mixture in a gas engine.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character referred to which may be readily adjusted so it may be thrown out of operation whenever the engine has acquired the proper speed to operate the magneto effectively.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for positively locking the accelerating devices out of operation.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and make more effective theoperation of devices of this kind.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side view of a port-ionof a magneto showing my improved devices applied thereto, a portion of the samebeing broken away and shown in, section. Fig.2 isan end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a section on the line at of 'Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing the parts in a different position of operation. Fig. 6 is also aview similar to Fig. 4, but showing the parts in another different position of operation. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a portion of the magneto base and of the stop arm.

' Like parts are represented by similar characters of reference in the several views.

In starting explosive motors by hand, where such motors are equipped with a magneto for producing a spark, it is usually necessary to employ batteries'to ignite the initial explosive charges, for the reason that. it is impossible to impart suflicieut momentum, particularly with large explosive engines, to cause the magneto to produce an effective spark, due necessarily to the initial slow rotation of the armature shaft of the magneto.

By my improved devices now to be described, I have provided for imparting to the armature shaft a succession of accelerated rotary movements irrespective of the speed of the engine, the construction being such that after the engine has acquired sufiicient momentum to impart'to the armature shaft suiiicient speed to cause the magneto to produce effective sparking, the initial accelerating devices are thrown out of operation and the armature shaft caused to revolve uniformly with the moving parts of the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a portion of a magneto of any ordinary construction, such as is now commonly used in connection with explosive motors to produce sparks, this magneto being mounted upon a suitable base 2. The armature shaft 8 of the magneto is extended beyond the same for a suitable distance, and located upon this extended portion of the armature shaft is a sleeve 4 having formed integrally on one end thereof a disk 5. Located upon the sleeve 4 is a collar 6, and the armature shaft, sleeve and collar are all connected together by apin 7. Loosely mounted upon the sleeve 4 between the disk 5 and collar 6, is a gear wheel 8 having formed on the side thereof, adjacent the disk, a cam 9 which extends entirely around the same except at the point 10, where it is cut away; this gear wheel being rotatably connected to any moving part of the engine in any suitable manner.

The gear 8 and collar 0 are connected together by a spring'll, coiled about a reduced portion 6 of the collar and having one end thereof projecting into a recess in the collar and the other end thereof projecting into a recess on the gear, as shown in Fig. 8. Projecting laterally from the gear 8, or rather from that portion 9 thereof which forms the cam, is a pin 12, said pin extending into a slotted opening 13 formed in .the disk 5. In assembling the parts, the spring 11 is put under sutlicient tension to form a proper driving connection between the gear 8 and the collar 6 and consequently with the armature shaft, and normally the pin 12 and one end of the slot 13 form stops to maintain this driving connection by preventing the unwinding of the spring,- as shown in Fig. 4.

Pivoted on apin 14 is a swinglng arm 15, said pin 14 being secured in a perforated boss 16 projecting from the rear side of the base 1 by a set-screw 17. This swinging arm 15 projects forwardly and is normally impell'ed upwardly'by a spring 18 coiled about the pin 14 between the sleeve 15 of the arm and the head 14 of the pin, one end of the frame being connected to the pin 14 and the other end being extended beneath the small stud 15 on the arm 15. The arm 15 is normally held in retracted position against the tension of the spring by a plunger 19 located in the housing 20 on the forward side of the base 1 and normally impelled 'by a spring 21 coiled about a reduced portion thereof, to a position to hold the arm in retractcd position, a collar 22 forming a stop for said plunger by contacting the end of the housing.

'When the engine is at rest, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4. When it is desired to start the engine, the operation of the device is as follows The plunger'lt) is first withdrawn by the operator, said plunger being provided with a knurled finger piece 23 for this purpose. This permits the arm 15 to assume the position shown in Fig. 5, in which position the edge of a hardened stop plate 15 thereon is brought in the path of movement of a pin 5 projecting from the periphery of the disk 5. As the parts of the engine are turned by the operator, through the medium of the fly-wheel or otherwise, the gear 8 will be likewise revolved, revolving with it the collar 6, the disk 5 and its sleeve, and the armature shaft. So soon as the pin 5 strikes the stop-plate 15, the movement of the disk and consequently the collar 6 and armature shaft, will be arrested. Continued movement of the gear 8 will thereupon place the spring 11 under further tension until the inclined surface 9 of the cam contacts the plate 15 and forces .thearm downwardly,

whereupon the disk will be released fronf said plate and the spring 11 will impart to the disk, collar, and armature shaft, a quick rotary movement, the extent of which will be limited by the contact of the pin 12 the operation will be repeated and the mag neto caused to make another effective spark. This continues until the parts have reached such momentum that the impact of the cam upon the plate 15 will be of suflicient force to cause the arm to overthrow or leave the cam to a slight extent, the parts being so adjusted with respect to each other that so soon as this occurs, the surface 15 of the arm will be brought out of the path of movementof the plunger 19 and hence allow said plunger to spring out to the position shown in Fig. 1 and thus hold said arm 15 in retracted position. In order that these armature accelerating devices may not be thrown out of operation before the engine has reached sufficient momentum to'insure the production of effective sparks by the magneto, and in order that they will not continue in operation after such time, I have provided means for adjusting the tension of the spring 18 which operates the arm 15 so that said spring may be given the proper tension to produce the best results; this being accomplished by unloosening the set-screw 17 and turning the pin 14 in either direction to reduce or increase the tension of the spring 18. By this construction, it will be seen that the device ma be readily adjusted to suit different conditions which exist in different makes and different sizes of engines, so that the throwing outof these accelerating devices maybe engaging and positively holding said out of operative position.

' In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a driving member, a spring forming a driving connection between said shaft and driving member, a lock for said shaft, means operated b said driving member for throwing said loc r out of operative position, and a spring catch for said lock to positively hold the same out of operative position.

3. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a driving member, a spring forming a driving connection between said shaft and member, a swinging lock for said shaft, a spring catch to hold said lock in inoperative position, a spring for throwing said lock to operative position, and

means operated by said driving niember for throwing said lock out of operative position. 4. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a driving member, a spring forming a driving connection between nuassc said shaft and member, said shaft, a catch for holding said lock in inoperative position, a spring for throwing said lock to operative position when released by said catch, and means for adjusting the tension of said last-mentioned spring.

5. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a driving member, a spring forming a driving connection between said shaft and member, a swinging springpressed lock for said shaft, a cam connected to said driving member for throwing said lock out of locking position, and a spring catch for holding said lock in inoperative position.

6. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a driving member, a spring forming a driving connection between said shaft and member, a swinging springpressed lock for said shaft, a cam operated by said driving member for throwing said lock out of operative position against the tension of its spring, and a spring catch for said lock held in inoperative position by jaid lock, the construction of said cam being Much as to permit said lock to hold said catch in inoperative position until after the driving part has acquired a certain momentum, whereby the impact of said cam upon said lock will cause a movement of the same sufiicient to release said catch.

7. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a driving member, a spring forming a driving connection between said shaft and member, a swinging lock for said shaft, a spring for normally throwing said lock to locking position, a cam operated by said driving member for throwing said lock out of locking position against the tension of its spring but permitting said lock to return to locking position during each revolution of said driving member and hold said shaft against revolution during a portion of such revolution, a spring-pressed catch for said lock held in inoperative position by said lock, the construction of said cani bein such as to permit said lock to hold said catch in inoperative position until the momentum of said driving part is such as. to cause said cam to throw said lock sufliciently to cause a swinging lock for the release of said catch, and means for adjusting the tension of said lock spring.

8. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a gear rotatably mounted on said shaft, a coil spring about said shaft forming a driving connection between the same and said gear, a projection on said shaft, a swinging spring-pressed lock for said projection, a cam rotatably connected with said gear for throwing said lock out of operative position, and means'for automatically engaging and holding said lock in inoperative position.

9. In a device of the character described, an armature. shaft, a disk connected with said shaft, a driving gear on said shaft, a spring about said shaft forming a driving connection between the same and said gear, a slotted opening in said disk, a pin con nected with said gear and extending in said slotted opening, a projection extending from said disk, a swinging spring-pressed lock for said projection, a cam rotatably connected with said gear for throwing said lock out of operative position, and releasable means for holding said lock in inoperative position..

10. In a device of the character described, an armature shaft, a sleeve on said shaft, a disk connected to one end of said sleeve, a collar at the other end of said sleeve, said shaft, sleeve and collar being rotatably connected together, a gear loosely mounted on said sleeve between said disk and collar, a spring about said collar forming a driving connection between the same and said gear, a slotted opening insaid disk, a pin connected. with said gear and extending into said slotted opening, a projection on said disk, a swinging spring-pressed lock for said projection, a cam rotatably connected with said gear for throwing said lock out of operative position, and releasable means for holding said lock in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of April, 1912.

ELMER A. IVATTS. Witnesses Grins. I. WnLoii, Es'rnnn E. PFEIFER. 

